Methods to create implant denture restorations by means of physical impressions and laboratory models are well documented in the dental literature. According to one technique, a series of appointments are conducted at the dental office. An appointment for physical impressions followed by appointments for jaw relation records, denture try-ins, verification jigs, final impressions, denture setup try-ins and the delivery of the final prosthesis are necessary to complete treatment. The large number of appointments required, and the amount of time consumed between appointments by shipping the restorative components between the doctor and the dental laboratory, make the implant denture restorative process expensive and time consuming.
Other problems arise from cumulative error in the impression and subsequent models and restorations derived from the impression. Digital impressions are not subject to degradation of impression accuracy during subsequent steps of the restorative process.